Mixed Reactions to Harry and Meghan’s Netflix Series in the US and UK
At the British-themed Tea and Sympathy cafe in New York’s West Village, tourists from Texas discussed Harry and Meghan’s new Netflix series over high tea. For them, the Megxit saga felt like a modern fairytale.
The documentary reinforced the belief among many Americans that the couple faced rejection due to rigid traditions and a strict class and racial hierarchy. Despite the family drama, viewers argue that Harry and Meghan deserve to share their side of the story.
Interestingly, American sentiment toward the couple differs from that in Britain. Meghan is viewed favorably by 43% of Americans but only 28% of Britons. Prince Harry enjoys greater popularity in the US.
Skylar Baker-Jordan, an American commentator, attributes this divergence to contrasting class systems and social mobility. Meghan’s ambition is seen positively in the US but may be perceived as arrogance by the British.
“To the British, that would read as arrogance,” Baker-Jordan writes. “To Americans, it reads as ambition – and ambition is encouraged in this country. Meghan embodies the American dream, rising from a middle-class background to achieve success in TV and advocacy before marrying a prince.”
However, some Americans have grown weary of the couple. Caroline Russo, 52, initially sympathetic due to her admiration for Diana, now feels differently. “There’s a faux naivety with Meghan in the documentary,” she says. “If she truly wanted freedom, she would reject her titles and privileges.”
The transatlantic gap is also evident in reactions to Meghan’s account of her first curtsy at Buckingham Palace. Some Brits saw it as mockery, while American viewers saw a humbled woman navigating tradition.